Princess Cruises

December 26, 2010 | By Beverly Beyette, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Just when you thought cruise lines had done it all — Central Park at sea (on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas) and Cirque du Soleil afloat (on Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Epic) — here comes Disney with a roller coaster aboard the Disney Dream, which debuts Jan. 26. The Dream, the third and largest ship in Disney Cruise Line's family-oriented fleet, will carry as many as 4,000 passengers on three- to five-night cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla., to the Bahamas.

Christmas was coming, and I was headed north to the Arctic Circle on Santa's direct route. I was at the beginning of a 12-day expedition cruise aboard the MV Fram around the southern tip of Greenland, the largest noncontinental island on Earth. Friends and family in L.A. had made me promise to return with unusual Christmas gifts, imagining polar bears in my pocket or baby harp seals in my backpack. To them, Greenland was more exotic than Timbuktu. Here I was, at the back of beyond, in Maniitsoq, a small town on Greenland's west coast.

THAILAND Natural and man-made landmarks On Friendly Planet Travel's "A Taste of Thailand," travelers journey along Bangkok's waterways and visit many of the country's highlights, including the Bridge at the River Kwai, ornate palaces, massive Buddhas and UNESCO World Heritage sites. The itinerary provides ample leisure time for independent exploration and to partake in optional add-on experiences that include bathing elephants or sunbathing in Phuket. Itinerary: Bangkok to Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, the River Kwai and back to Bangkok Dates: Multiple nine-day departures offered between Nov. 22 and April 25 Price: Starting at $1,499, double occupancy (single supplement $199)

Question: My husband and I took a 14-day Caribbean cruise on Princess over the Christmas holidays. My suitcase didn't make it to the cabin and was missing for 12 days. Despite repeated attempts to work with the purser's office — just getting loaner clothing for formal night was a tribulation — we were unhappy and requested a full refund. The only thing we got was a $500 onboard credit for our next cruise and a letter telling us "further correspondence will not generate a change in resolution."

The April 25 On the Spot column featured a letter from Stan Pebsworth of La Cañada Flintridge, who was unable to get to his cruise departure port in Valparaíso, Chile, because of the earthquake. Although he and his wife tried for days to get to the destination, the number of people trying to get home, the State Department warnings and the number of aftershocks discouraged them from continuing to try. They gave up and returned to Los Angeles. Princess Cruises would not refund their money.

The Coral Princess sailed into San Pedro on Monday morning, ending its 15-day Panama cruise; Chiara Faliva flew all the way from Italy to greet it. Far from a relaxing vacation, Faliva is hopscotching the world -- Tuesday she was en route to Colombia -- desperately trying to determine what happened to her brother, a 31-year-old chef who disappeared from the ship a few days after it departed from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The few facts known only...

Five of the world's largest cruise lines suspended all stops in Mexico on Tuesday because of the swine flu outbreak, dealing another blow to that country's battered tourism industry. The situation could mean additional cruise ship business at two Southern California ports of call, San Diego and Santa Catalina Island.

The holiday glitter is but a memory. And for some travelers that can mean only one thing: It's time to choose this year's cruise. Or maybe past time if you want the best deals. These days, half of passengers book their voyages more than seven months ahead, the industry's Cruise Lines International Assn. reported last week. And you won't believe where they're going in this contrarian year: faraway Asia and South America, the glitzy Mediterranean and onto riverboats in Europe.